Shadows Never Lie
by Adrienne Valentine
Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was. Rated M for Dark Themes, Sex and Violence. OC/Loki Not a redemption fic
1. Stitches

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_Someday soon you'll find that someone _  
_ Waiting for the chance to beat you _  
_ Drooling on the set to feel you _  
_ Blessing you with every kiss_

_Stitches by Orgy_

* * *

The Shadow Realm is a vast, endless, ever changing land. Landmarks are useless, as something that will be there one 'day' will be gone the next. Time is also useless, as sunrise and sunset are mere metaphors and the actual elapse of time is distorted. Sometimes faster, often times much slower. What feels like years in the shadow realm is a fraction of that time. The Realm of Shadows seeps into your soul, slowly overtaking your other senses without hesitation. Those unprepared for such an intrusion are driven mad, devoured by the creatures that lie in the shadows. Even those that are prepared cannot escape the overwhelming loneliness of the place.

That was why the pale woman, dressed in black, found herself lingering on the edges of the realm. The steady thump ba-thump ba-thump of music called to her. The faded illusion of color tempting her from her purpose. The swell and surge of lively, colorful, wonderfully vibrant people dancing before her pulled her like the tide.

She didn't even realize when she stepped through the thin veil separating the two worlds. Nobody stopped her when she entered, and the question of 'why?' was brief and fleeting as she stepped into the crowd. Her body moved of it's own accord, stepping into the sea of people and moving in time to the music with ease. The simple pleasure of it overtook her as her body swayed with each step, she was unaware of the enticing swing of her hips, attracted others to her dance. She felt the touch of another person and her body curled into the sensation easily.

She wasn't even aware that the shadows in the area around her moved in time with her, rather than their owners. That a few of them formed their own figures. Few else noticed through the haze of liquor and drugs. With the flow of partners and people touching her, holding her, dancing with her, she registered little besides the constant beat.

Until blue eyes met green. A jolt moved through her whole body as the eyes approached her, mesmerized as she was, her feet stopped for a moment. The world seemed to have stopped, and she could feel the crackle of magic in the air. Whether it was her own, she did not know. She waited there until the body attached to such eyes pressed against her tightly. The music, which had seemed silent to her, swelled to her ears in such suddenness that she had to lean forward into the person before her.

A chuckle rose above the music, drifting to her ears with such a mocking softness that it ignited something in her. The music was more than a simple beat now, as she recognized the song. It was instruction, and her body responded eagerly, pressing her entire form against the other form, her arms wrapping around the taller figure easily. The first of such movements since she had returned from the Shadows. _How long?_ Her mind questioned briefly before lips descended upon hers. She pressed back feverishly, drinking like a woman thirsty, the frosty tinge to such lips familiar like a former lover's perfume.

From there it was a blur, her body contorting and conforming under strong hands and striking eyes. The world moved and the music was suddenly quiet, the lingering thrum ringing in her ears. She could not tear her gaze away to wonder where she had gone, as mesmerized as she was. Even as hands wandered across her body, slowly revealing her bare, pale skin, scarred as it was from her battles, the shadow leaking from the most recent wound. There was only a brief pause at the sight of her latest wound, eyes locked in a curious question that wasn't voiced.

The lips met hers again and the dance continued. Transfixed, eyes never shutting, always watching one another as their bodies moved in time with an all too familiar tune. Even as her body arched and writhed, she could not find it in herself to look away. Even as hands and lips moved their way lower down her body. Pleasure coursed through her at every touch, the warmth of another body as a balm to her empty soul.

She was powerless under such ministrations, calling out to Gods she didn't believe in. Her body shuddered heavily as waves of pleasure rolled over her, overwhelming her for a moment. For a moment, she was helpless under the mesmerizing gaze, but a smile tugged at her lips. Mischievous and feral and she pulled at the shadows around them, pulling her lover backwards with their own shadow, garnering a look of a surprise on a regal face. Her smile tugged wider as she fell like a lioness on her kill. Body held by shadows, her look was returned in fervor. Descending upon now familiar lips, she returned the pleasure she had received as easily as breathing.

No concerns of being out of practice, no thoughts of whether she was doing it right or wrong. She was simply moving, and as she released her shadows, they were soon moving together. Moans, whimpers and screams of pleasure were the music to her dance as emotion was slowly restored to her entire being. Calling out in a language she didn't understand, they collapsed in their release. Sleep overtook them, as she finally found herself tearing herself away from green eyes that seemed to look into her very soul.

She was not surprised when she was the first to wake, her body still accustomed to the hostile setting she had been living in for many years. She watched the figure carefully, properly studying it now that she was not hypnotized by their eyes. She sat there for some time, watching the lines of pale skin, drinking it in before she forgot what she had experienced. A stirring of green eyes and she leapt back, disappearing into the shadows before she got caught up in the gaze once again. She did not see the mischievous smirk that arose upon awakening.

* * *

A/N: This is actually a continuation of an X-men Evolution Fanfiction I wrote years ago but never posted. Main reason it's a cross over. That, and many of the events are taken from X-men Evolution. I'm trying to intermingle to two of them and well, this story just sort of called to me. It's part pure rubbish, and part experimentation. Most of it will be written in bursts of inspiration, and I'm working through a couple different methods in it. So it may be jumpy, and I apologize in advance. This is meant to be one of my darker fanfics.

I would LOVE reviews to let me know what you guys think! If you are wondering anything, get a feeling from anything or whatever, let me know!


	2. How Strange

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_I'm more than happy in my candlelight _  
_ How strange, how strange _  
_ That you should come to my dominion _  
_ In the middle of the darkest night_

_How Strange by Emilie Autumn_

* * *

Colors were everywhere in the Material Realm. So bright, so loud, that it hurt her eyes. After so much time spent in the Shadow Realm, she truly had forgotten what the world really looked like. It was even day now, and that mere fact caused her discomfort. The light was harsh against her unaccustomed eyes, and the sunglasses she had did little to stop her from squinting in pain. She would have to stay out at nights until she got adjusted, but first she needed to find somewhere to stay.

She frowned, she barely even knew where she was, much less the situation that was going on in the World today. She could go to the Xavier Institute. Hope it was still there, that nothing unforeseen had happened. But how long had it been since she had left? Would it still be Charles Xavier there? Would someone else be in charge?

The world looked much the same, but that meant little to her. She had no indicator for such things. She hadn't bothered to look. She wondered if she could simply find some place to squat for the time being. She was too far into the populated part of the city to find anything useful. She would have to go towards the edges later that day, find somewhere to stay and...

"Persephone?" She heard the voice and frowned, turning her attention to the speaker, away of the familiarity of it. It was her name. A name she had not had need for in what had felt like years.

The voice that had carried it was also familiar to her, and as she turned to look at him, she realized why. His slim, tall figure with silver-white hair and blue eyes stood out against the constant flow of people on either side of them. She simply stood there for a few moments, staring at him in some surprise, taking in his appearance. He was indeed older than before. Taller, stronger, more muscular. He couldn't be older than forty, unless his father had found a more effective anti-aging formula. She would not be surprised. Perhaps thirties?

_How old had they been?_ She wondered with a frown. The answer came quickly. _Twenty-six. _She nodded to herself. He was still staring at her, his blue eyes wide in disbelief. Had she done something wrong?

She hadn't said anything. _Oh, right. _

"Hello Pietro." She answered, cracking the best smile she could. It likely fell flat. She hadn't had a reason to smile in some time. He smiled charmingly in return, looking... relieved? _Yes, that's it. Relief. _She knew why he must be so relieved. She hadn't contacted any of them. She paused, knowing her question may sound odd, but said it as casually as she could manage. "How long as it been?"

He paused for a moment as if considering her question before he responded. It was almost casual.

"It's been seven years..." He answered easily. _Only seven? _It had seemed like so very much longer. Not that she would let him know that. That might seem a bit... awkward. _They wouldn't understand, they would think you insane. _Instead, she nodded absently emitting a bored 'hm', wondering how he had found her. She glanced around. Had he seen her? _Perhaps it was Xavier and his machine... Cerebral? Was that what it was called?_ She couldn't recall. The fog of the Shadow Realm was still clouding her mind, it seemed. Xavier had likely set it up so he would be alerted when she returned to their realm and especially when she used her powers. Which she had done last night, in a fit of feral desire. _Such a foolish action, that. _What had possessed her to do what she had done, she did not know. _It had felt amazing._

Had Pietro asked to be alerted to her return? Or had it been happen stance that he had found her? _It doesn't really matter._ He reached out to her and her body moved on its own, stepping back and away from his touch. She couldn't have that, though she didn't know why. Her last contact had been last night and everything had gone just fine. _Did it? Fleeing like a thief in the night. _

"Did... Did you just get back?" He asked, pausing slightly when he noticed her movement and the look of slight confusion on her face. She nodded slowly. Somehow, she was still struck with so much apprehension about her home Realm. _Is that was it was?_ She shook her head slightly at the thoughts piercing through her mind. Another quizzical look was directed her way by ice blue eyes.

"Did you..?" The question hung in the air, the tail end of it finished itself in her mind. _Find her?_ She shook her head, despair rising up in her. She looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. She had not. She had failed. The truth fell from her lips unbidden.

"I need to access the astral realm." She said simply. Perhaps he had an idea. She was not a psychic, so she would need more than just access. She would need help. She hated asking for help. Charles Xavier, however, was the only one she knew that could help her in this case. "Where can I find the Professor?"

* * *

A/N: Okay, so the Darkforce (The Marvel's Shadow Universe) is not the Shadow Realm in this story. Yes, it still is included, but the Shadow Realm in this is more akin to the Shadow Plane/Shadowfell from Dungeons and Dragons. Yup, because I'm a nerd like that. So if you're familiar with it, you may recognize some things. Also,

Still love reviews. Of course, I realize that since this is a crossover, it may not get it. lol. Oh well.


	3. Remember

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_Like a memory _  
_ of a Time gone by _  
_ Many things I've seen _  
_ Still I can't deny _  
_ That I remember you_

_Remember by Emilie Autumn  
_

* * *

"It's not that simple, Grace." Professor Charles Xavier told her. She frowned. _Why was he using that name?__ Right, he always did._ She sighed, staring out past him, her mind's fog just barely starting to fade. She focused her attention back to him as he explained, ignoring the presence of Pietro next to her. "Your mind is clouded from your time in the Shadow Realm-" _She knew that. _"And the easiest way to find her will be through your mind. Your memories." _And accessing those now would be difficult._ "I will search for her myself, but in the mean time I think that perhaps something that will clear your mind might help." _He means the X-men._

"Perhaps she should join me?" Pietro suggested. She turned her attention from the bald man to the white haired man. She looked at him curiously. Join him? Doing what? Charles even seemed to consider it.

Perhaps it was the fact that her mind was clearing now, likely with the psychic's help, but this was the first time she noticed one very small, but very important detail about Pietro.

A ring. Not just any ring, either. A wedding band, set on the proper finger.

Her eyes followed it as the speedster explained something to the other mutant. Something about his group. The Avengers, he called them. The exact words the two of them were saying were completely alluding her, but she did not really care. Her eyes were intent on the ring. _How odd._ It had been some time, she was not surprised, but the gold glint still caught her attention. All of the unanswered questions and all of the unspoken promises between them seemed to hang in the air as her eyes traveled through the sweeping gestures of the arguing man as he pleaded his case.

They both took notice of her then and her eyes quickly shifted from the mysterious ring to the owner's face. _Guilt. He noticed._ Then to Charles, expression blank.

"If you want to, you can see if you can join the Avengers." Charles explained to her, concern lacing his voice. It seemed a bit silly to her that he sounded concerned. _Of course, he didn't know. _She nodded, absently. She honestly didn't quite care, and she had never gotten on too well with the X-Men. _They had always had issues with Pietro. Not that that matters now. _His words as the two of them left his office were meant to be friendly. "You're welcome to return here at any time."

Another absent nod before she exited the room. She noticed Pietro pull a phone out of his pocket, dialing some number. Likely his superior in his team she had been invited to join. She could hear it ring, ever noise since she had left the shadow plane sounding louder than it should. That was also why she heard the footsteps behind her. She turned to face the approaching noise. She was not surprised to see who it was, though both frowned.

"Logan." She acknowledged, her voice flat. She liked the man well enough, but her emotions did not seem to want to surface at the sight of him. He sniffed the air near her and was frowning heavily.

"You smell different." He stated, and she winced. _Of course he can tell._

"Like a Victorian Asylum's Library, I imagine." She answered, forcing a wry smile onto her face as she pretended to joke. He raised a furry eyebrow at her. _An explanation is required._ She sighed. "Like old parchment and dust and rot and death and blood. It's the smell of the Shadow Realm."

He nodded, opening his mouth to say more, when a click marked the end of the white haired mutant's conversation. They both turned their attention to him, watching him for a moment before he spoke, a smirk on his face.

"Fury wants to meet you." He said, proudly. _Had he always been so proud of her?_ His voice indicated that he had confidence in her joining his team. She nodded, giving a small wave towards the older man as she continued on her way out of the mansion. She was glad not to answer any more questions from him. She didn't like answering those kinds of questions. She wasn't very good at lying, after all. Her trick was to simply stay quiet and let people form their own opinions, let their own paranoia take over and interrupt what she had said. Logan had been immune to this deception. _Always, always asking questions_. Down the steps, she did not recognize the other faces as she passed them by.

Into the car he had driven to take them there and off they went to wherever it was they were going.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I'm taking a bit of knowledge from the comics. I suppose you could say it's a big crossover with multiple different categories. Oh well. Reviews are appreciated!


	4. Runaway

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_I might have nowhere left to go_  
_ But I know that I cannot go home_  
_ These words are strapped inside my head_  
_ Tell me to run before I'm dead_

_Runaway by Pink_

* * *

She stood in front of the man. Her new boss, it seemed. _To be determined._ His look was appraising, judging her for her worthiness. He hadn't asked her anything yet. She wondered how she looked, in her spare set of clothing, the set she had worn all that time in the Shadow Realm having been left with the lover she had fled from. Luckily, not all her things. _Just one set of clothes. _Still, the clothes were closer to her old wardrobe. Boots, fishnets, short skirt and a top that barely covered anything. She looked more like a gothic hooker than a fighter. At least her stomach was covered. _The horrible gaping wound that had yet to heal was not going to make an appearance._ Many of her other scars, however, were very visible. Some looked as normal as could be, while some of them were still obvious for what they were: unnatural. Caused by creatures that only resided in the Shadow Realm.

His gaze returned to her face and studied the markings across her forehead. The tattoo she had made herself without a mirror, infused with shadows and magic. She was not going to explain that. He didn't ask her too.

"Persephone Grace Sullivan." He stated slowly, as if making sure that she understood that he knew exactly who she was. "Also known as Shadowdancer. Former X-Man. Disappeared about seven years ago right after the Phoenix Force Incident." _Of course he knew about that. _She nodded, not saying anything. "Looks like you've had some adventures of you own since then. Care to share?"

She froze. The question she didn't want to answer. She looked over at Pietro briefly, standing just barely in her peripheral. He did not give her an answer. Turning her attention back to the man who looked too much like he would have fit right in in the Shadow Realm. "I'd rather not."

He raised an eyebrow over his one good eye, but took her words in stride, nodding. "Quicksilver tells me you are a good fighter." She nodded. "You can teleport through shadows." Another nod, "And manipulate them to do what you want. Including restraining people." A third nod in confirmation. "He has faith that you can do your job as an Avenger." A pause from all parties involved. "I need to see you in action first."

The request was simple enough. _It made sense._ She had been away for so long that it was very unlikely that SHIELD knew her skills. Or trusted her. Or even knew of her. She stared at him in return, waiting, making her own judgements as she waited. Neither of them said anything for a few moments, and it was the impatient white haired man standing nearby who broke the silence.

"Do you have a mission?" He asked, almost nervously.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, this one. Sorry, trying not to cross time too much over the course of one chapter. Also trying to get on with the story, and enough with the introduction part. :3


	5. The Lonely

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_I'm a ghost of a girl that I want to be most._  
_ I'm the shell of a girl that I used to know well._

_ Dancing slowly in an empty room,_  
_ Can the lonely take the place of you?_

_The Lonely by Christina Perri  
_

* * *

A day quickly turned into a week into a month into three. Three months since she had returned to her home Realm, joined Pietro with the Avengers, and had been sent on whatever missions they had sent her on. They had given her an apartment. _Small and still very underfurnished_. They had given her money. _Not that she'd touched it much._ They'd given her everything she might need, and they called her far less than she had assumed that they would. _Only about two a month. Six so far._ She sighed as she stared down into the glass of some kind of liquor, sitting at the bar and looking around aimlessly.

She had always liked liquor, and clubs, and bars. The music, the movement, the lights. All of it. It didn't hold the same allure any more. Every time she went she knew why it was that it was so different. _Green eyes haunted her._ She was not even upset when her phone rang in her pocket, sending vibrations throughout her body. She pulled it out and looked at the Caller ID. She nodded absently, not even bothering to answer it. She knew what it was about. She stepped away from the bar, ignoring the man who had been staring very intently at her for the past few minutes, trying to make conversation. _Green eyes, but not the right owner._

She stepped into the shadows and out of sight, striding effortlessly through the Shadow Realm and stepping back out of the shadows in the meeting room of the Avengers HQ. She glanced around the room carelessly, counting heads. _Pietro, Iron Man, Captain America, Natasha, Hawkeye and Wanda. _She frowned for a moment. There was only one empty seat. None for her, of course, they had learned that she did not take a seat of their making. She simply stood, or, on occasion when the lighting was right, created her own seat.

_This was one of those occasions._ Steve Rodgers, the man from a time past, was always a little disturbed when she did this. She had learned this quickly, and to some extent, she did it simply to bother him. _It was, after all, far too easy to bother him._ Fury entered the room, followed shortly by a large blonde haired man whose name escaped her in that moment. _Not that it mattered much. Just another mission. _He nodded to the others in the room, blue eyes finally landing on her with some surprise and no recognition. _Not expecting the new girl, obviously. _She nodded to him absently and he soon sat as well. Fury stood in front of the group, frowning as he always did.

"It seems that Loki has escaped from Asgard to come here." The group, with the exceptions of the mutants, startled forward as if in protest. _Obviously not good._ She regarded the news with the same bored expression that they had come to expect from her. Pietro and Wanda looked dubious and perhaps a little disturbed, but nowhere near as upset as the other members of the group. She wondered why.

"Where is he?" The dressed down Captain America called out, frowning, looking desperately between Fury and Thor. "What is he planning?"

The rest of the group's questions floated effortlessly past her ears as she absorbed the information, not asking anything of her own. He'd been missing for a few months, it seemed, but the Aesir had not noticed due to the God of Lie's illusions. They did not know for sure when he had arrived on Earth, or what he had been up to. No idea of where he was. Director Fury turned his attention to her and her silence with a frown. He did this whenever she stayed silent. Which was every meeting. He did not trust her, she knew. _Not that the distrust is misplaced._ It was purely because of Pietro she was even there. She had been tuning out the conversation until then, but with his attention suddenly on her, she listened, catching the tail end of something that Ironman was saying.

"-Put some snake over his head. Like the Mythology!" She frowned, a little surprised the he made the reference. Tony Stark, of all people. Perhaps she shouldn't be too surprised._ He was a genius after all. _When Nick Fury spoke, she knew it was directed at her.

_"_Think you can find him?" He asked her. She nodded simply. _Of course._ Finding people was one of the things she did best. _Except for her._ Xavier was working on that. "Good. Do it." _  
_

* * *

A/N: Another short chapter, sorry. And I wonder who may have noticed that I updated the chapters with the lyrics? :3


	6. Stupid Girl

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_What drives you on (What drives you on)  
Can drive you mad (Can drive you mad)  
A million lies to sell yourself  
Is all you ever had _

_Stupid Girl by Garbage  
_

* * *

Arms crossed, she found herself raising her eyebrows at her 'party'. Her former lover, and the brother of the man they were to apprehend. She ignored the look that Pietro was giving her and nodded in time with Fury's instructions. She wasn't really listening. She only knew that they were to apprehend this criminal and bring him to SHIELD HQ for questioning. She wasn't sure why they had been chosen for this mission. _Fury was probably explaining that one, she realized, but continued to tune him out._

Finally, he finished and she glanced at the other two, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Shall we?"

Before either could respond, the shadows swirled around them, engulfing them in darkness and throwing them into the Shadow Realm. She took a few quick steps, navigating the Realm with ease as they followed, confused, her hands still gripping their shoulders. Within moments they arrived at the location instructed and she pulled them through and out of the shadows. She frowned when she realized that the place they had come to was somehow familiar to her. _She just couldn't recall why. Her memory did that to her a lot lately._ She followed then slowly as they entered the empty building. _Trying to figure out why the place was so familiar. _ They entered before her and she heard Pietro's words to the villain moments before she entered.

"We have someone smarter and stronger than you." _Leave it to Pietro to brag, _she sighed to herself_. He was entirely too proud of her._ Stepping through the door, she heard their enemy's response.

"Oh? And who might that be?" Something struck her as odd, but she pushed the thought aside as she stepped forward, even with the two men, and spoke without emotion. Without hesitation

"That would be me." She answered, and then she finally caught sight of the man they were sent to apprehend.

She cursed herself for not looking through the file at this point at green eyes sparkled, directed right at her. She heard a gasp, and when she noticed that Pietro and Thor were looking at her, she realized it had been her. A wide grin spread across his face, practically illicit in the knowledge of the images that rose to her mind at the sight of those eyes.

_~"My God!" She cried as he thrust into her. As her body adjusted and his smirk widened at her cries, she watched, transfixed, as he leaned forward, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke._

_"Loki will suffice."~_

She frowned, trying to clear the memories that rose up. His body moving over her as she called out his name. _Now the reason for calling out to a Norse God made sense._ She had been far too involved in the moment to care about the details of it, and her memory had glossed over that part of it.

"I did not expect to see you, with them." The God of Mischief spoke, not tearing his gaze from her. The two men frowned at her, waiting for another reaction.

"What is he talking about, Seph?" Pietro asked, and she could hear the underlying question in his voice. _(Did you sleep with him? It asked, she stopped herself from answering his unspoken question.)_

"We've met." She said simply. He laughed at her words. (_This is where she would have cringed, if she had not been expecting it._) The sound was altogether to pleasant on her ears. Playful. _Mocking._

"Is that what you humans call it?" He said with a smirk. (This time, she did flinch, but not for the obvious reason.)

"Seph?" Again, it was Pietro with the underlying question. She sighed. _Why was he asking a question he didn't really want the answer to?_

"We had sex. I did not who he was." The looks varied. Shock from Thor, disappointment from Pietro, and a gloating pleasure from the God of Lies. She frowned. _Men enjoy gloating, don't they? _"Though that doesn't change anything."

Loki's face fell slightly, but the smirk was still there. She was the only one that noticed. The other two men had their attention too focused on her to see it. _Suspected certain things of mortal women_. A sort of pleasure filled her at the thought. Pietro latched onto this with a smirk.

"Must not have been very memorable, then." The speedster commented with a chuckled. Now the God of Mischief's face turned somewhat angry. _One man with a now wounded pride seeking to wound another's. Typical._ She sighed, shaking her head in dismay, still finding it hard to look away from those eyes.

"Loki, we're here to take you in to SHIELD." She said, ignoring the taunting that was going on. She had a mission after all, after this, she could take some time to look again. _She wasn't here to get distracted by green eyes, no matter how haunting they were._

"Oh, come one, Seph, let him know how terrible it was!" Pietro said, laughing heartily. She sighed again. _What was Thor doing?_ Looking at her, still in shock. Of course. _Meathead. She didn't have time for this. _

"Pietro." She warned, her voice sharp as a razor. _He didn't really want to hear the truth._ "We're here on a mission."

This finally seemed to knock Thor out of his shock, and he nodded, turning to his brother, who looked annoyed now. No more smirk. _Oh, his wounded pride._

"Come on, brother, I would like to do this without violence." He stated, his voice level and almost pleading. This man cared for his brother. She approved of the tone of his voice. _Obviously more to him than she expected._ She smiled to herself at that thought.

"To take me back to your precious masters?" Loki questioned, his tone was mocking. "Very well, but only because I have business with the human anyways."

Shock from all parties involved. Persephone's eyes narrowed at this. His green eyes were on her._ Something was off. Familiar and manipulative._ He was up to something, but she said nothing. He walked forward, directly towards her. Standing in front of her, far too close, and it came to her. _This was where green eyes had entranced her. _He smirked widely once again, focusing his attention directly on her, even though he was speaking to the other two.

"I think that 'Seph' should take me there." He said and she reacted to his suggestion. _Command._ She couldn't stop herself. Something was wrong, she knew, but regardless, she allowed him to place an arm around her waist as the shadows in the dark club surrounded them, engulfing them completely. _His eyes were still that same startling green in the shadows._ And she realized the magic involved. She growled, pushing him away, and he started laughing. _The Shadows had cleared her head._ Eyes narrowed, she glared at him.

"You cannot control me. Not here, God of Lies." She whispered harshly. Their surroundings flared in response, roiling and shifting in response. For a moment he looked shocked by her actions, by the actions of the Realm around them. Forms that were far too familiar to her started to form. _Soulless eyes surrounded the pair._ He laughed, and held up his hands in defeat.

"Very well." He said to calm her. "I'll be good."

_It was a lie, of course. _

* * *

A/N: I'm changing the genre. It still has romance, but it's not really a romance story. Reviews are loved. I uploaded quite a few chapters in one day. Loki has finally been introduced, and now the actual plot starts soon. :3


	7. Swallow

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_To say I do this for the people  
I admit is hardly true  
You tell me everything's all right  
As though it's something you've been through_

_Swallow by Emilie Autumn  
_

* * *

Locked in a cell designed for him, safe and sound. She still suspected that he could get out if he wanted to. She was watching him. Thor was there as well. _Watching them both. _Not that he didn't have reason. Fury had yet to find them and find out. She suspected that Pietro was getting him now. Filling him in on all the details. _Like a good little boy._ She rolled her eyes and turned to look over at Thor. After a moment, he returned her look. She almost wanted to explain herself to him. _As if it mattered._ She didn't like the fact that she had been enchanted by the God of Lies, but there was the problem. _Without lying, she didn't know what to say. _

She sighed, shrugging and looking back over to the cell and those sparkling green eyes. He, _of course,_ was watching her. It made her shift uncomfortably as she tore herself away from his gaze. _Can't get sucked back in._ Nervous, waiting for Fury, she pulled out the shadows around her, shaping them, forming them, bringing her companion to her side. The large dog's paws clicked audibly on the tiles as it appeared next to her, a contorted, horrific apparition that was barely recognizable as a dog. Thor startled into a combat stance and she suddenly remembered why she hadn't summoned the hound before. _Poor Fenris._ She placed one hand on the beast's head and held the other up to the God of Thunder.

"It's just my dog." She said flatly, trying to calm the man as best as she could do. _Not that she was doing a very good job of it._ He lowered his hammer and looked at the dog, who was watching him passively.

"How did you acquire him?" He asked, trying to be pleasant, his hammer hanging to one side, but still firm in his hand. She frowned a little. _Story time._

"I found him as a pup in the Shadow Realm." She explained simply, as if that said it all. When she noticed the confusion on his face, however, she knew that was not the case. She sighed. "He can't stay in our realm for too long, though, the light hurts him." _And me, but we won't say that._

"He is... Very large." He was trying to compliment the dog. She chuckled as she pet the creature's head softly.

"Yes he is." She paused. "His name is Fenrir."

Eyes swiveled back to her. _Of course they recognized the name._ She smirked a little as she watched Thor's horror re-emerge and battle with his sense of propriety. The name surely set of all sorts of warning bells in the God's head, but this dog, unlike the one of legend, was a pet. _Her pet. _It was laughter that drew her attention away from her amusement. Both Shadow bound turned their attention to the God of Lies.

"How fitting of a name!" He called, his eyes holding that plotting, sparkling, _mocking,_ look to them. "Tell me, is that why he looks as he does? Like such a monstrous beast? Because of the Shadow Realm?"

She froze, nearly toppling over at her sudden tensing. _How...? _Fenrir was growling at her side now, sensing her apprehension. She was watching him carefully, her whole body on edge. _He knew._ She hadn't realized that she had started to crouch into a defensive stance until she noticed the dark look he was giving her. _Still with that damned smirk._ Frowning heavily, she pushed herself off the wall, she walked over to him slowly. A swift glance over at Thor and she realized that it was only Loki who understood. She stood just outside of his cell, her dog at her heel, and studied the God for a moment more before answering.

"The Shadow Realm is a harsh, terrifying place." She said smoothly, her voice dripping with the implications that he was likely aware of. "Those within must adapt and become terrifying."

His smirk was dark and knowing. She didn't like it. She also couldn't tear her eyes away from his once again. _He knew and he liked it._ She frowned and turned sharply, hearing Fury's echoing footsteps. With a wave, Fenrir faded out of sight, back into the Shadow Realm.

"Miss Sullivan. Why wasn't I told that you had **sex** with the target?" Fury snapped, glaring at her with one eye. She stood at attention as best she could, but shrugged.

"It was three months ago." She explained casually, and the habits from when she was younger rose up of their own accord. "You really expect me to remember everyone I have sex with? Get their name, phone number and any possible intentions of destroying the world? Maybe their favorite color?"

She scoffed at him and she realized this was the most that she had said to the man in one go. The most she had said at once to anyone since she had returned. And the most sarcastic as well. She felt a little like her old self. It brought a small smirk to her face.

"You find this funny, do you?" He growled at her, and she couldn't help herself.

"A little." A shrug as she stepped away from the cell carelessly. "I always seem to have a habit of sleeping with the enemy."

This smirk was sent back towards Loki for a moment, _he doesn't look too pleased,_ before she came to stand by Director Fury, hip cocked to one side with her hand place defiantly on it. She watched him for a moment as he glared between her and 'the enemy'. He seemed to come to a decision.

"Will it effect you capability?" The question was clear. She scowled at the implications.

"I'm not some simpering school girl who's going to be manipulated because of **sex**, Director." She growled at him, her anger at his silent accusations annoying her heavily.

Pietro smirked at this from beside Director Fury. He had likely been offending that she had had sex with the man. _Which was ridiculous, he had no claim._ But she didn't expect better of him. She rolled her eyes when Pietro spoke up.

"Like I said, must not have been very good." He was staring at the God of Lies when he said this, and she sent her own passive glance his way. _No, he was certainly not happy._ His smirk had turned into a scowl and was fading to his own passive expression as Fury walked towards the Cell, flanked by the three 'Avengers', ignoring the speedster's quip.

"Now then, Loki, what did you want to talk about?" He asked, voice laced with suspicion. The God smirked widely.

"Oh, there is just someone coming here to destroy your planet, that's all." He said with a shrug, turning away from the group. "Just thought I ought to warn you."

* * *

A/N: Okay, so this just keeps changing without asking me, really. Oh well. I only know where this is going, not how it gets there. I do need to add some things in here, however, to illustrate certain aspects of Persephone. But! Here we go.


	8. No Rest for the Wicked

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

_**A/N: Thank you Right2Left for the review**_**_! I don't want to give away too much yet, but I will soon be showing more of a direction with this. My only hint is: Loki knows [some] of what happened in the Shadow Realm._ **

* * *

_Ain't nothing in this world for free  
No I can't slow down  
I can't hold back  
Though you know I wish I could  
No there ain't no rest for the wicked_

_Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant  
_

* * *

"He wants something." Iron Man stated firmly. She rolled her eyes. _Of course he does. _The God of Mischief was offering assistance to a problem that they hadn't even known existed before he had informed them of it. _It's either a trap or a gamble. Or both. _At this point she was silent again, watching the group. For the first time since she had returned to her home realm, she is intrigued by the turn of events. Pulled in by the green eyed God, away from her true purpose in the realm. She cursed herself for it, but she could not stop it. _Am I still enchanted?_

"I agree, Man of Iron, it is most unusual that he would seek out SHIELD willingly to warn of a threat." Thor agreed, nodding absently. Persephone frowned, opening the file infront of her, woefully uninformed of the events that had transpired the last time Loki had been on Earth. She checked the date. Three years ago, while she had been away. She frowned as she scanned the details of the reports. _Came to Earth for the Tessaract, controlled an army, sought to fight the Avengers in a rather large battle. Only seemed to want Earth._ Her head jerked up, and Pietro's eyes flickered to her.

"Thor?" She asked, pointing to some details on the paper and he looked at her curiously. "The Tessaract, it says in the report that he had been **taught** the power? And that he controlled an army you were unfamiliar with?"

The large blonde man nodded, looking slightly confused. "Yes, but what-" She quickly interrupted him. Far too familiar with this sort of event from her time with the X-Men.

"Is it possible he was working for someone then?" She asked him, staring at the Asgardian intently. It took a moment, but the cogs turned in his head and something clicked. He seemed to remember something He nodded.

"Yes, I suspected such at the time, but he has not said anything of it since then." He explained with a shrug. _Hadn't been worried about it or been too fearful?_ She mused with a frown. _Curious. _Her frown deepened slightly. She had certainly seen such an encounter before. It stunk of the Apocalypse incident when she had been in High School. The mutant had used his powers to control another mutant. Then there had been Mystique, who had accidentally sacrificed herself and her adoptive daughter Rogue in an attempt to evade subjugation by the ancient mutant. In order to gain her own place when he ruled. She turned her attention to Pietro and Wanda, the two of the group that had been privy to the same events as herself. She couldn't tell, but she hoped the same thoughts were now clicking away in their own minds. She shoved the folder over to the siblings with a small frown.

"Doesn't it seem a bit like Apocalypse and Mesmero to you?" She asked them. It was Wanda who spoke.

"This could be one of three things." She started slowly, looking back down at the file and flipping through it, landing on an image of the strange sceptre he had wielded. "It could be a trap. Obviously. He wants us out looking for some fictional villain coming to destroy Earth while he forms plans of his own."

Tony Stark nodded at this with a slight roll of his eyes. _He already knew this of course. They all did at this point. Nothing new so far. _Persephone waited for the witch to continue. _  
_

"It could be the truth, but a taunt. Whether an ally, a servant, or a 'master', it doesn't matter, but he's just telling us to watch us run around trying to defend from something he thinks we can't defeat."

More nods from the group. Tony still looked bored at this point, but said nothing. _Yet._

"Or." She paused a bit dramatically, the two women exchanging glances for this part of the list. "He does want something. Help."

The group understood what she was talking about, and they glanced between the two dark haired women. While the looks they gave Wanda were perfectly acceptable, the looks they were giving her were rather telling of their thoughts on the list and her agreement with the last part. _I am not compromised by him._She thought to herself with a small frown. They sat there for a moment in silent thought. Tony laughed at this point, shattering the silence like glass.

"He wants help? The guy who thought he could take over Earth wants help from the 'pathetic humans' he sought to enslave?" He said with a laugh. She knew that the idea was a bit ridiculous. But that was the point. He had not said it in such a manner. _He wouldn't actually do it by asking for help, of course. _That stubbornness was too familiar to her, with a glance towards the white haired mutant at the table. He was watching her with an interested expression at that point.

"That's the point, Stark, he's not going to ask. And he will likely find something to get out of it for helping." She explained, and the genius's expression turned a little thoughtful.

"He's mentioning it because he wants us to come to him, begging for answers." Stark said with a nod. Persephone had to agree, though she hadn't thought of it exactly that way until then. They knew him better, however. "He needs help, but he still wants to feel superior. He doesn't want to hurt his ego."

She nodded to the genius, allowing him to take over. Talking was still exhausting, and this chain of events was getting her more and more involved. _But why?_ Through all the months she had been working with the Avengers, her mind had stayed clouded over, her thoughts had continued to stray, and no one had asked any questions, too concerned for what she had been through. _Except for Loki. He seemed to know._ For some reason, the idea frightened her. She had been glad that Wanda had picked up on her own suspicions and had voiced them. She suspected that the group would not have taken them in such stride had they come from her. _They do not trust me._ She listened to the conversation, however, for once actually intent on the outcome.

"If that's the case then we need someone to get him to talk." Tony suggested with a frown, thinking to himself. _He wasn't going to do it. _"Tasha, think you can do it?"

The red-haired spy frowned in thought. She was certainly the most well trained in such matters. She lived off of fooling people into thinking of her as weak, doing things such as begging to get the information she needed. But, if Persephone recalled the scan of the overly detailed report, she had already done that before with Loki. She had already shown her hand in that regard.

"No, I think he'd expect it from me." She explained with a firm shake of her head. The woman who had been gone for seven years frowned, then stood, her hands planted firmly on the table and her shadow-chair disappating beneath her. She ignored it when the Captain gave a very small shudder.

"I'll do it." She said simply, turning to leave, this time through the actual door. Pietro frowned at her and let loose the piece of information that not _everyone_ had been privy to at that point.

"You sure that's a good idea?" He asked, a slight snark to his tone. "Not doing this just because you had sex with him?"

She glanced over her shoulder as she stopped. The reactions in the room this time were far less dramatic than when it had been Pietro and Thor. Tony, the Playboy, was hardly one to say anything about sleeping around, and merely shrugged. Black Widow often used sex to get information, and obviously, did not oppose the method. Hawkeye was used to Black Widow's methods. Wanda likely suspected why it was bothering Pietro so much, and said nothing.

"That's why it's a good idea that I should go." She answered with a smirk. "Appeal to his ego."

_You want to ask him your own questions. _

* * *

A/N: I'd love more reviews! Like I said, the direction and the darker aspects will start to become clearer in the next few chapters.


	9. Blue Monday

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_How does it feel to treat me like you do  
When you've laid your hands upon me  
And told me who you are  
I thought I was mistaken  
I thought I heard your words  
_

_Blue Monday by Orgy  
_

* * *

Green eyes rose to survey her when she strode into the room, this time entering from the man-made doorway instead of the shadows. This action seemed to amuse him greatly. This time his cell was not the impenetrable barrier that had been made for the Hulk. It was far simpler. And, due to some tweaking with Wanda's influence, she suspected, impervious to magic. _Or at least most magic._ He smirked at her when she approached him, walking up to the glass.

"What? Avoiding the shadows now?" He spoke with a chuckle. His tone was light and playful, but the implications held some sort of threat to her. She frowned at him and ignored the comment, coming to stand in front of his cell, watching him carefully, taking in his appearance slowly. Appraising the man she had had sex with without realizing who he was. _Or what she had really been doing._

It was the first time she had actually really looked at him. His armor looked very fitting for a Norse God. Black, green and gold leather-like material that she suspected was not leather. He was not wearing his helmet or his full armor, she noted. He was standing close to the glass, watching her in return, his hands clapsed behind his back, allowing for her inspection. His face held the same sort of mocking amusement that had been playing on his face since she had first seen him. Some part of her liked it, remembering how similar it was to the look on his face when they had first met.

~_As he dipped his head to her breast, he smiled in a way that made her growl, arching her back up, sending her chest towards him. He tsk'd as he pulled away, exposing her sensitive nipples to the cold air of the room. He was enjoying teasing her, testing her and pushing her as far as she would allow. She wouldn't have it. Reaching up with one hand, she grabbed the back of his head roughly, forcefully pressing her lips against his. Neither closed their eyes as their lips started moving against each other, a detail so odd to most that almost seemed necessary at the time. As if something would be lost. He pulled back and sent her a mocking smirk.~_

She shook her head forcefully as the memory rose up, but her eyes had drifted to his face. His lips. The lips she had kissed and found herself wanting to kiss again. She tore her eyes up to connect with his and the mischievous sparkle in his eyes told her that he had an idea of what she was thinking. Her look of slightly disturbed dismay returned to her face and with a wave of her hand in the dark room, she materialized a chair behind her to sit in. She still said nothing for a moment more, waiting for him to react to something, to do something besides fix her with that same look. It didn't take long.

"Did you come here just to see me?" He asked her playfully, "I should feel honored, perhaps?"

Tilting her head to the side, she ignored this comment as well. Her mind was far too engrossed in other matters. Other things he had said. When she focused on the events of the first night she had returned, they became clear, and some parts of it perturbed her. She noticed as he shifted on his feet for a moment that he had no chair. With another wave, she materialized a chair for him to sit on as well. He smirked at this.

"Now there is my little mistress of shadows." He teased, and there was a husky tone to his voice. She remembered **that** part of their liasons without even thinking. He had called her by the same name then as well. That was when she realized something, sitting forward with a look of intense interest.

"You were not surprised by my abilities." She stated. He opened his mouth to disagree with her, the look of surprise on his face had indeed been apparent to her, but that wasn't what she was talking about. "For their use in sex, maybe, but... Perhaps I should say that you were not frightened by them."

He laughed at her comment, a deep, rich sound, filling her with the sense of his amusement. She simply waited for him to finish. To speak. To explain. The dear Captain America's response to her shadows was typical. Logical, even. Shadows and darkness were associated with many things. Very few of them good. Shadows moving of their own accord, not tied to the actions of the owner, whether this was controlled or not, disturbed many people. She had met very few people who were not disturbed in the slightest by the mere sight of her abilities. Even fewer that did not become fearful when touched by her shadows. The God of Mischief finally finished laughing and shook his head slightly as he answered.

"No. I have no fear of the Shadows you control. Not with those markings on your forehead."

His eyes had flicked up to the tattoo on her forehead. Since she had returned and had access to a mirror, she had cleaned them up, improved the general design, made it look far less obvious. Her hand flitted to her forehead and a surge of magic and shadow pushed towards her fingers, gnawing at her consciousness. She frowned and pulled her hand away as if burned.

"You know this marking?" She asked, he nodded, slowly, revealing nothing yet there was something off. She frowned and stood from her chair, which disappeared from beneath her as she moved away. When he stood, his did as well. She stared at him intently. "How do you know it?"

He merely shrugged, not giving away any answers. Her temper flared, anger bubbling beneath her skin. Her actions at his refusal were rash and unadvised. If there had been others in the room, she would not have done it, but she ducked into a rising shadow and reemerged on his side of the cell, holding tight to him with her shadows, his collar fisted in her hands. And she felt **it.**

That was when she remembered that magic did not work in his cell. That despite her shadow abilities working perfectly fine on either side, and that she had no fear of being trapped here. But there was another reason that she should not have crossed. He was watching her intently, dark green eyes shining with knowledge and a hint of fear as he stared into the black, soulless eyes that had taken over her blue. Her hunger pulled at her, gnawed at the edges of her mind, feral and overwhelming. She pulled him towards her, controlled his body through his shadow to come towards her and she devoured his lips in a hungry kiss. Her eyes still did not close, and she found herself staring into his as he returned it, weakly.

Until she realized why there was not the previous sparkle in his eye. She pushed him away with all her might, stumbling backwards as she released her shadow hold. She disappeared into the shadows and reappeared on the other side, her hands gripping her head in pain as the magic returned to her being once again. She glanced sidelong at him and noticed him doubled over in pain, grasping his side, his eyes wide with fear, amazement and... something else. _Triumph. _

"Those markings protect your mind." He choked out as he caught his breath back. He looked weak, but he had gotten what he had desired. She growled, standing and throwing herself against the glass, arms hitting the surface hard.

"You _**knew**_ that would happen." She hissed, more angry at herself than at him. The smirk that spread across his face at her accusations indicated that he had had some idea. That he had intentionally angered her simply to see the results. She cursed. "That was foolish."

He shrugged. "I am familiar with the Shadow Realm and what it does to someone."

She stumbled backwards once again at his words. _He knows. _Without asking for further explanation, she hurried out of the room. Leaving through the same door she had entered in. She did not know how he knew, nor did she care. She also didn't see the gloating, calculating smile that had crept its way onto the God of Lies' face.

* * *

A/N: Two chapters in a day this time. Maybe more coming. It's getting closer to the point that I really want to write, so let me know what you think so far! :3


	10. Vow

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_Ah, you burn and burn to get under my skin _  
_ You've gone too far now, I won't give in _  
_ You crucify me but I'm back in your bed _  
_ Like Jesus Christ coming back from the dead_

_Vow by Garbage  
_

* * *

The effects of her temporary venture into the magic suppressing room still lingered with her. Pietro, likely concerned for her and her efforts, had been heading towards the room when she had flown out of it. She had said nothing, instead continuing ahead to her rooms. He had caught up easily, asking her questions which she had ignored until she had arrived at her door.

"Later." Was her bitten reply before she ducked into the room and slammed the door shut behind her, firmly keeping the other mutant out. The fact she had practically ran to her room instead of traveling there through the shadows was telling, and she knew it. When they were younger, and even until now, when she did not have to worry about who was watching, she never traveled by foot if she didn't have to. Never. She always stuck to traveling through shadows if she could. Even times when she shouldn't, she did. _Shit._

She went to her private bathroom, turning on the water and splashing her face with the cold liquid. _  
_

The event had her spooked. Her heart was racing and her head pounded from the sudden intrusion in her mind. It hadn't been the Asgardian that had caused the pain, however. She knew better. _He was playing with her._ She **knew** this, but there had been something else when the magic had released its hold. Despite the overwhelming hunger that had consumed her in an instant, it had been muted. Despite the need for more that had been rising desperately, there it had been, whispering sickeningly sweet into her ear. **_Tear him apart._**

The most terrifying part of it had not been the implications most would get out of those words, but what she had known lay underneath. She could still hear it, calling to her, telling her to go to him. She sucked in a large lungful of air, releasing it slowly, humming in her mind as she forced the noise away. She continued like this for a few moments before she moved from this, looking into the mirror in front of her. Leaning forward, she carefully examined herself in dismay and saw the horrifying consequences. The blue of her irises was just barely reemerging into her distinctive mismatch of dark and light blue. The markings on her forehead seemed to be absorbing some shadow that had leaked unto her face, creating black lines like veins. She held up her hands and saw her nails as she shadows on her hands faded into the natural pallor of her skin.

Her nails remained black, however. She growled, running them under the freezing water once again. She scrubbed against her nails, hard, and was preparing to tear the offending features off when there was a knock on the door. She frowned, turning off the water, waiting. There was another knock and, with a growl, she went to the door, roughly yanking it open roughly, prepared to shout obscenities at the silver haired speedster. Instead she found herself face to face with Wanda. Her curses died on her lips and she stood to the side, allowing the other woman to enter into her room. It was a moment before Wanda said anything, stepping into the room casually, watching her friend.

"He is agreeing to cooperate." She said to her, watching for her reaction. Persephone nodded stiffly, still picking at her now black nails absently. The other woman's eyes glanced to her hands, but neither said anything about it. "I don't know what you did, but it seems his Intel is correct."

The Shadow manipulator nodded, not meeting her friend's gaze. She could hear it again, rising to the surface, calling out to her. **_Take it from her._** She ignored it, pushing firmly down on the thought that had risen. She needed to fix this. She needed to restore the magic on her tattoo. Despite that the suppression should have been temporary, she could feel the control had leaked away. It was far too delicate of a balance.

"Seph?" Wanda asked and her eyes shot up, connecting with the witch's gaze as if a startled deer. They stared at each other for a moment before her friend spoke. "Do you need anything?"

_I need Loki. I need the God of Lies. I need him to fix me. _Her mind screamed at her. _**I will have him. **_She shook her head absently. Her friend nodded and left the room, leaving her to her own thoughts.

* * *

A/N: So... Three now I guess. This one is shorter though. If the time is a little confusing, I apologize. It's meant to be. Anyways, writing the next chapter now! Reviews are loved and definitely speed up the process! :3


	11. American Ninja

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

* * *

_My bleeding heart will pay for actions I'm about to make  
(My bleeding heart will pay)  
This pain I brought upon myself and nothing's haunting me  
(This pain is haunting me)  
At night I stay up late I'm praying that this curse will break_

_Michael Dudakoff: American Ninja by Schoolyard Heroes  
_

* * *

Loki was confined to a spare room, under constant surveillance by one of the Avengers at all times. She had taken the 'last shift' in this, dreading the moment when she would have to face him again. Pietro had taken the shift just before her and the thought made her bristle. She had not talked to the man either since her escape from the containment room. So she was not surprised when she came face to face with the speedster as she 'reported for duty', entering into the God's current chambers. Once again Persephone entered the room through the door rather than through her shadows. Both men seemed to take notice of her. Pietro's gaze had been focused on a corner that contained the darkest shadows, a hopeful expression on his face. _He wishes for normalcy. _Loki, however, she noted immediately, was staring at the door when she entered. The speedster's head swiveled, his attention focusing on her in an instant. He frowned ever so slightly. He stood and came over to her in one quick movement, as he did everything.

"Seph?" He asked. She nodded, her gaze rather unfocused, her head still throbbing angrily. It had not died since it had happened. She had not slept at all, the pain far too overwhelming. He started speaking, a hand placed on each arm as he forced her to focus on him. Encouraged by her allowance of this touch, something she had not done for some time, he spoke. "I can do a double shift if you need me to."

His offer was offensive, and her gaze was cold when she looked down at his hands clasped around her upper arms, her anger bubbling slowly.. She opened her mouth to snap at him when she noticed something peculiar. Another small, seemingly insignificant detail that had changed. One she had not noticed until that very moment. His ring was gone. She frowned while looking at his left hand absently for a moment, wondering on the implications once again. He had said nothing to her of what occurred. She hadn't asked. She had said nothing of the ring in the time since she had joined his little team. _Now was not the time to start._

She shook her head slowly, her anger at his offer having faded with the new detail. Not wanting to hurt the white-haired mutant, nor wanting to explain further. He frowned as her gaze connected to hers. For a moment, nothing happened, but in the blink of an eye she was surprised by his actions. He dipped his head down, pressing his lips softly against hers for a moment. Long enough to be affection, hinting towards something more than a mere reminiscence of what they used to be, but hiding something else. When he stepped back and cast a look back at the God of Lies, she knew that it had been a double play.

She watched his retreating figure as he left the room with a distant expression. When the other mutant had disappeared out of sight, she slowly turned to the still-technically-prisoner in the room with her. She was not surprised to find him studying her with an unfamiliar look. Something between a scowl and a curiosity. She ignored it as he stayed silent and took a seat at the table the man was sitting at, glancing over the files and notes that were strewn across the table, recalling the information they had told her about the exact why and what of the current situation. He was confined to these quarters until they could confirm or deny whether he was telling the truth or whether it was indeed a trap.

There was little information on the specifics laid out before her. It seemed, judging from the various scrawls, that he had so far only talked to Thor of the details of why he was helping and why he had gotten involved. There was no name of this man, simply a lot of information about the armies he had at his command, possibilities, probable weaknesses. She frowned and looked up at the God, about to ask him a question. When her eyes focused on him, he was looking at her hands rather intently. Specifically, her now black nails. She made to pull her hand away, and he grabbed hold of it in one of his larger hands, his grip holding hers strong.

She winced as his gaze continued to fall on her black nails, his study intent as his hand held firm. He was definitely physically stronger than herself, which was only a small surprise to her. He was not human, after all. Despite that she knew hand to hand combat, that she was capable of fighting on her own, she was only of normal human strength. She had always used her shadows to avoid taking the strikes and distract her enemies.

His eyes turned up towards her as his grip loosened. When she met his gaze, however, she felt no need to pull her hand away. She simply stared back at him in return. The familiar smile spread across his face. Calculating, scheming, mischievous.

"What else has changed?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Somehow the scene had turned intimate, and she didn't even know how it had happened. He reached forward, seemingly taking no notice of her silence and pressed the fingers on his other hand to her forehead, carefully tracing the outlines of her tattoo. She felt the cool, soothing feel of magic seep into the seams, sealing the cracks that had broken through in her moment of anger with him. He smirked as his hand drifted lazily down, her headache subsiding at the touch. She leaned into his hand as he cupped her cheek, and would have been content there had he not spoken. "You are mine already."

She started backwards, ripping her hand and her face from his grasp. Shock crossed his face before being replaced with a far more malevolent smirk. She scowled at him.

"What are you trying to do me?" She hissed, now standing. He chuckled and held out his hands in surrender.

"Nothing." He answered. _Lies. **Take him. **_She shook her head again and frowned. She knew he was playing tricks on her mind, doing so as easily as he lied, as easily as he breathed. _It was not hard._ She hated the thought. "You have already done it to yourself."

She froze at his words, shock playing across her face. She scowled at him, planting her hands on the table and leaning in to try to read him better.

"What do you know of the Shadow Realm?" Her voice was soft, threatening and insistent. The smirk widened on his face. _His smugness knows no bounds_.

**"**I know why it is dangerous to venture there." He said confidently, cryptically. She frowned and leaned towards him a fraction more. "I know what lurks there."

If his smirk could have grown any wider, it did, as he reached up to tap her forehead once again. "I know what now resides here." Once again, she found herself reeling back slightly, away from his touch. She sent him a questioning glance.

"I was taught of the Shadow Realm as a child, a prince of Asgard." His voice was arrogant, mocking, but there was a hint of vulnerability there that she did not miss. "I did not understand until I ventured there myself."

She wasn't sure why she did it, but when he said that he had been to the Shadow Realm. _Her Realm._ Something inside of her clicked into place. She leaned forward again and could not stop herself from pressing her lips against his. Softly at first, her eyes closing for the first time around him, the action sending an entirely different sensation through her.**  
**

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A/N: That's all for today! I'm debating whether to include the sex scene in the next chapter, or skip to after. And I mean an actual sex scene instead of the odd one from the first chapter. hah. Let me know in the reviews!

And yes, there are pieces that I'm still leaving out, but they'll come in time. :3 If you poke me, I may reveal certain things sooner.


	12. Gloomy Sunday

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

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_Sunday is Gloomy,  
My hours are slumberless,  
Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless  
Little white flowers will never awaken you  
_

_Gloomy Sunday by Rezső Seress [Performed by Emilie Autumn]  
_

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Something kept Persephone from sleeping. The monstrous hunger in her mind was not the answer. It had calmed considerably since she had first watched Loki. Since she had slept with him and he had pressed his fingers to her head, letting his magic seep into her.

Then the answer came. The act had been so basic, so soothing and so familiar that she had not given it thought until then. She had needed such soothing touch so desperately that she had not even thought to question it. She had been so relieved by the break from pain that she had not given thought to anything else. Her bloodlust had subsided and she had dove into the God's arms as if she were drowning. Perhaps she was. She had not lived without it in quite some time. The release from the pain and hunger had rolled over her like a wave of silence and peace. And he had given it to her.

He should not have been able to give her such peace. It was never meant to be given by anyone else but the witch and her people. She growled, sitting up in her bed as the woman's words came to her mind.

_~"It is an ancient magic, to keep the darkness at bay. Few will know this magic as we do, and it will be dangerous to let others mettle with it." The woman explained as she traced the patterns over Persephone's hand, the magic flowing through the knife, the shadow she was controlling flowing from around her, from her hands, connecting with the magic and into the blood. The pain was excruciating, her whole body shaking. "You will need to return to us to restore it. Fear not, we will come to your call when you need us."~_

She threw off her covers, the shadows engulfing her without a thought. She did not give any thought to what she was wearing, nor who was there with the God. Instead, as she appeared in the room, she plunged her hands into his covers and pulled the Asgardian by his collar, her shadows fueling her strength, wrapping around her arms and enhancing her average strength in order to hoist the man up, startling him awake. She ignored the way the other occupant outside of the door startled. She could see them through the one way mirror. Solidifying the shadows by the door, she was determined not to be disturbed. The crackle of the magic on her forehead reminded her that she was pushing it, but she ignored it.

"How?" She hissed, her voice lacing with a shadow of another voice. For a moment, he knew nothing. Then, a knowing smirk crept its way unto his lips, his green eyes sparkling with mischief once more as they connected with the shadowed and black of her own eyes. If she had the sense at the moment, she would have recoiled, horror at the obvious corruption that was seeping into her so easily around this man.

"What is it you're talking about now?" He jeered at her, a hand rising up to her cheek, far too gently. Almost affectionately.

"This." She pointed aggressively with her hand, the shadows that had surrounded it staying where they were as if it were nothing. "How did you know to fix it?"

He laughed, the sound still holding the charming quality she was familiar with, that led her like a pied piper, but it also held something else. Madness. Darkness, like her own. She recognized it. It seemed that the man was more familiar with the Shadows than he had led her to believe. The black bled from her eyes as she released him from her grip, still sitting on him, waiting for an answer.

"I am well versed in many of the ancient magics." He told her, cryptically. She glared at him sideways. Despite her outburst, it had not risen her anger. The seal was stronger than before. She heard the thumping against her shadow wall stop and she looked over. It was Pietro. She sighed with a roll of her eyes, letting down the wall to let him in. She growled when he entered the room, looking about in apprehension. His eyes settled on her, still straddling the prisoner. "Do you really want to discuss your sins now?"

She growled at the word, turning another sharp glare at the man. Her temper was flaring like it hadn't done in years. This man infuriated her, despite her attraction to him. Pietro glanced between the two of them, focusing on her position, focusing on the other man's words. She steeled herself with a frown, hissing. "My sins are not up for discussion, here. You did not answer me. How do you know the magics to hold back my curse?"

Loki glanced noticeably over at the other man. She frowned considerably at the motion, but said nothing else. "I ran into a witch when I found myself in the Shadow Realm. She taught me a few things before I left and was discovered by the Titan. She spoke of you in wonder, like a queen." A smirk crossed his face. "I knew I had to have you for my own."

"Seph isn't yours!" The silver haired mutant protested, and the response was laughter. Two pairs of blue eyes glared at the God, but neither said anything on the matter. She then took hold of his words, thinking about them as she drowned out Pietro's protesting as if it were a machine's hum. She frowned, her mind whirring with the implications. The witch he spoke of, Branwen, would not have spoken of her so easily. Would not have taught the magics to just anyone. The woman had only taken her in, taught her, after... She pushed the thought down and turned her attention to the man she was still astride.

"You charmed her." She hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously, the black in her eyes spreading once more. "You tricked her, used her."

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. His shoulders shrugging as he looked at her, his expression softened, begging for forgiveness and trust as he spoke. "I only made friends with her as you did."

Others would have believed him, she knew from the look of false sincerity on his face. She knew better. She remembered the ill temper of the woman and the battles she had fought to win the old woman's trust. Friendship had not played into their interactions. Her glare could have sent weaker men reeling back in fear as she grabbed his collar once more, pulling him to her.

"I have no lived years with my dear sister to not see through a lie as plain as that one." She whispered to him, her voice harsh. It was a simple statement to her. One she had uttered many times before her time away.

"Your sister, Hope?" He asked, curiously, a mischievous glint to his eye. She realized what she had said. What she had revealed and she recoiled as if bitten. Letting go of his collar and shoving him back, she stumbled off of his bed. She had not spoken of her sister since she had joined Pietro's little team of 'Avengers'. She had not mentioned her sister even in passing. Those who knew had not either. No one had said her sister's name since she had returned. She supposed much of it was from the influence of the silver-haired mutant in the room with her. She cast her gaze to him to find him looking at her with pity, balking, she stepped away from him as well.

The expression of grief was plain on her face as the shadows rose to engulf her. In an instant, she was gone. Blue and green eyes focused on where she had been standing with vastly different expressions.

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A/N: So, this one took a bit to get to, but now we're getting somewhere! From now on the chapters will generally be longer, and there will be more action and adventure soon. Thanks for the favorite, MyInkHeart!

As always, reviews are loved. :3


	13. Curse of the Werewolf

**Shadows Never Lie**

By Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Chaos and Mischief go well together. It's a wonder she had never understood it before. It wasn't until she was face to face with the God of Lies that she couldn't deny what she was.

**Right2Left: Well, we're definitely getting there. Glad you're liking it. :3**

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_Midnight and I'm out on the prowl_  
_ Composed with hate, I'm filthy, wretched and foul _  
_ It's not a thirst but a hunger inside_  
_ Tear open your flesh there ain't no safe place to hide_

_Curse of the Werewolf by Schoolyard Heroes_

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__

She had avoided Loki since their previous run in. She had not watched him and not been asked to watch him, and had been mostly absent during any meetings since as well. She strongly suspected that Pietro had had a hand in the allowance of her absence. Director Fury did not seem like a very forgiving or kind man in these matters. But her grace period was coming to a close, she knew. She had just visited Professor Xavier to see if he had made any progress. He had not. And she had declined to let him pry into her mind. She did not yet know how her seal would react to the psychic's intrusions. So far he had not been able to delve into her mind, but that could likely be because of the training she had undergone before the battle.

It had been helpful when the time had come, and just as helpful since. Keeping the truth away from those she was around. Except, it seemed, for the God of Mischief and Lies. His green eyes bore into her very soul. Seeking out her sins and laying them bare before her. Dragging along scars to reveal the wound, festering with rotted flesh and bitterness.

And now she was forced to see him again. To stand before him and have him examine her in the wickedest of ways. Stepping into the meeting room from out of the shadows, she instantly could feel his gaze upon her, studying her like an insect underneath a microscope. Or an ant underneath a magnifying glass. If he turned it just so, or watched her for too long, she would burst into flames.

She said nothing, her attention focused instead on Director Fury, a mask of apathy carefully placed on her face. He nodded to her, but said nothing else as she materialized her seat of shadows without a thought, seating herself next to the ever-uncomfortable at the sight Captain America. Small, sick pleasures. He was speaking to them, detailing the current situation.

"There was a break in at Asgard." Steve explained, leaning over to whisper the details to the black-haired woman. She frowned, nodding. While Thor and Loki were busy dealing with 'threats' in Midgard.

"You mean to tell me that this- Thanatos.." Director Fury was scolding the two Asgardian Gods like they were children when he was interrupted by one.

"Thanos." Loki cut in, his voice flowing effortlessly. She finally directed her attention to him, studying him intently. He looked much the same as he had last time she had seen him. Unlike herself, he had lost no sleep over their conversation. The thought made her angry and she looked back at the Director.

"This Thanos now has some of the strongest weapons in the universe and your people were unable to stop him?" She sat up a little straighter at this comment. This sounded most unusual. The Asgardians were in many respects practically like Gods in their abilities. Nigh immortal and almost unstoppable. "How in the hell are we supposed to stop him, then?"

"The Allfather was in the Odinsleep when the attack occurred... Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were dealing with a mission in Nibleheim..." Thor instantly cut in to defend the honor of his world, of his people. "If I had been there, his men would not have gotten in. They would have been slaughtered before-"

"But you weren't there." Wanda cut in, a sharp tone to her voice as she assessed the situation. "None of your best warriors were there when the attack took place. They knew what to expect, they got away with everything, and they might be heading towards Earth now, just to prove a point."

"Not everything." Loki spoke up once again, nodding at his brother and waiting for the large blonde man to produce a small, glowing green stone out of a thick black satchel. The gem toppled out of the bag, landing on it's side on the table before them, rolling awkwardly until it stopped practically in front of the shadow mutant. She glanced towards the Asgardian, who was watching her intently as he continued to speak. "Odin awoke in time to stop them from taking the Gauntlet, but he was forced to scatter the gems across the cosmos. This one was sent to Earth."

She could hear the stone, singing to her, calling to her like a siren, even as she forced herself to keep her attention on the God. The humming song persisted, reminding her somehow of her dear sister. She closed her eyes tight against the onslaught, her sister's beautiful singing voice calling to her from within the gem. The words of the group drifted past her as she tried to focus on anything but the beautiful green gem before her.

"What is it?" That was Steve. _Bless him._

"An Infinity Gem." Thor answered. "It is part of the Infinity Gauntlet. A very powerful weapon."

"I believe this is what he was after." Loki said, and he could feel the man's eyes still boring into her, tearing her open and watching her. He knew of her sin. He must know what this dangerous, enchanting stone was doing to her. _Of course it was green._ She opened her eyes when Wanda addressed her, turning her gaze to her friend.

"Seph, would you be able to hide this one in the Shadow Realm?" The woman asked as if it were the simplest answer there was. She frowned and, finding no reason why she could not try save for the pull she was fighting in her heart that was demanding the claim the stone. Eyes were on her as she glanced around, towards Director Fury, then Loki, whose expression had grown more intense to her eyes. _Did the others notice his stare?_ Then she landed on the green stone, her hand already halfway extended to the item of its own volition.

"I can try." She whispered, her voice barely covering the distance across the table to the others assembled. Time seemed to slow as her fingers approached the green gem, her body moving as if through thick, syrupy molasses. In the space of a breath, she touched the gem gingerly and it roared up at once. Her powers flared at the touch, her eyes instantly turning solid black as the hunger filled her. A sudden emptiness filled her entire being, demanding to be filled. More than the overwhelming sadness of depression, more than the emptiness of grief. Instantly she felt hollow, incomplete, as if half of her was missing, leaving a vacuum of pain in it's wake. She hissed as the pain caused by the sudden hunger gnawed at her. Engulfing her in her entirety, her whole body felt in pain. Her blood was boiling beneath her skin, her body both burning hot and chillingly cold at once. Her skin felt as if it were being ripped, torn apart by thousands of needles. Her mind was wiped blank as her chest heaved inwards, her heart aching as if stopped and her lungs empty as if she had just fallen from great heights. In the moment, she breathed a single word, knowing what the gem was as it resonated with her own curse, her own desires; her voice coming out in twofold. One of her own, barely above a whisper, the other, deep, dark, guttural and distant. "**_Soul_**."

And just like that, the pain faded away, passing as if it had never occurred, leaving only a small, throbbing pain in the front of her skull, spreading out through the intricate tattoo. Loki was next to her, his hand on her forehead, sending the chilling magic through her, holding the black satchel in his other hand, presumably containing the toxic gem. There was some measure of concern in his eyes as he watched her, and she was entirely unsure if it was sincere or not. He pressed the black satchel into her hand, the muting effects of the magical clothe not allowing the corruption to pour through and into her. She nodded absently, swallowing thickly through the forming lump in her throat. He smiled down at her almost kindly and leaned down, pressing a small kiss to the center of her seal. The only thing that kept the hunger at bay.

The air was taken from her lungs as time returned to normal, the green-eyes God back across the table and the others staring at her as if none of them had seen the exchange between the two of them. As if none had seen the gaping wound in her own soul. She nodded absently, calling forth to shadows and reaching into the Shadow Realm, placing the small satchel into a safe pocket of space that she kept close to her person.

"Will it be safe there?" Pietro asked her. She stared at him for a moment, as if wondering if he had seen the exchange. Nothing. She nodded.

"They will have to go through me to get the gem." She answered finally. This seemed to placate the group. Loki was still watching her. She suspected he was the only one who noticed how badly her hands were shaking as she folded them across her lap.

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**A/N: **My oh my but that was a fun one to write. I'll let you know, most of these chapters are simply coming out on their own. However, I may be doing another Avengers fanfic that's a bit more humorous. Just to even things out. haha.

Reviews be loved. :3


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